Helicoidally grooved dental burr

Abstract

A dental burr to be used in a clockwise-rotating chuck of a drilling machine has a generally cylindrical or conical working surface, coated with abrasive particles (diamonds), which forms a flat helicoidal strip of left-handed pitch whose width substantially equals that of an intervening continuous groove.

I claim: 
     
       1. A dental burr having an elongate body centered on an axis, said body having a shank engageable by a chuck of a drilling machine rotating clockwise as viewed toward a tip of said body, a portion of said body between said shank and said tip having a working surface formed with a flat helicoidal strip of left-handed pitch terminating at said tip, said strip having a multiplicity of turns separated by turns of a continuous helicoidal groove. 
     
     
       2. A dental burr as defined in claim 1 wherein said portion is cylindrical. 
     
     
       3. A dental burr as defined in claim 1 wherein said portion is conical. 
     
     
       4. A dental burr as defined in claim 3 wherein said portion has a cone angle between about 2° and 5°. 
     
     
       5. In combination, a dental burr having an elongate body forming a shank, and a drilling machine provided with a chuck engaging said shank for setting said burr in clockwise rotation as viewed toward a tip of said body, the improvement wherein a portion of said body lying between said shank and said tip has a working surface formed with a flat helicoidal strip of left-handed pitch terminating at said tip, said strip having a multiplicity of turns separated by turns of a continuous helicoidal groove.